Zebrafish Genetics & Disease Models

Custom services for generating zebrafish genetic variants and transgenic lines

Zebrafish Genetics & Disease Models

Custom services for generating zebrafish genetic variant and transgenic lines

View our services

Zebrafish Genetics & Disease Models

Custom services for generating zebrafish genetic variants and transgenic lines

View our services

Based at The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) Research Institute, the Zebrafish Genetics & Disease Models Core Facility offers a range of services to both internal and external researchers.

We use contemporary mutagenesis and transgenesis techniques to generate zebrafish models of human disease in-house at our state-of-the-art facility. Zebrafish can be used to:

  • Validate candidate disease-causing genetic variations and provide insight into the molecular mechanisms underlying the disease
  • Identify candidate therapeutics using high-throughput drug screens
A gloved hand tapping on a screen of a piece of lab equipment.

Our services

Please review the SickKids Core Facility Terms and Conditions (PDF) before submitting a service request.

Using cutting-edge technology, we generate custom genetic variations in target genes.

Based on project requirements, we can introduce a range of genetic variations, including:

  • Small insertion-deletions resulting in frameshift and premature termination codons
  • Large ‘transcriptless’ gene deletions
  • Single nucleotide variants to mimic disease-associated genetic variations
  • Knock-in fluorescent proteins or epitope tags into target genes

Zebrafish lines can be shipped domestically or internationally to other zebrafish facilities for phenotypic analysis or studied at SickKids by establishing scientific collaborations facilitated by our core facility.

We use modern molecular biology techniques, such as Gibson assembly and multi-site Gateway recombination, to rapidly assemble plasmids suitable for transgenesis and capable of expressing any protein of interest.

We can perform microinjection of plasmids into one-cell stage zebrafish embryos and screen for germline transmission of transgenes to subsequent generations.

Based on project requirements, we can generate a variety of transgenic lines, including:

  • Fluorescent reporter lines to label cell lineages and/or study the sub-cellular localization of proteins of interest
  • Transgenes that can suppress genetic variant phenotypes
  • Transgenes that allow for conditional spatial and temporal expression using the Cre/Lox system
  • Binary expression systems (sometimes referred to as split systems) that use either Gal4/UAS or QF/QUAS systems allowing for tissue specific expression
Morpholinos can be used for transient knock-down experiments to study loss-of-function phenotypes in zebrafish embryos and larvae (up to five days post-fertilization).
In collaboration with the SPARC BioCentre, we can perform chemical screens to identify small molecules that can suppress a visible genetic variant phenotype and/or alter the expression patterns of stable transgenic reporter lines.
*This service is temporarily unavailable.

Under the Health of Animals Act, zebrafish imported from outside Canada must be held in a Canada Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) pre-approved quarantine facility in order to be tested for spring viremia of carp virus (SVCV) before being released for research purposes.

Our Zebrafish Quarantine Room is a CFIA-certified holding facility that allows us to import zebrafish from sources outside of Canada, on behalf of SickKids or other Canadian research laboratories.

Depending on your project needs and timelines, we offer customized projects not listed above on a case-by-case basis. Contact us for further inquiries.

Using cutting-edge technology, we generate custom genetic variations in target genes.

Based on project requirements, we can introduce a range of genetic variations, including:

  • Small insertion-deletions resulting in frameshift and premature termination codons
  • Large ‘transcriptless’ gene deletions
  • Single nucleotide variants to mimic disease-associated genetic variations
  • Knock-in fluorescent proteins or epitope tags into target genes

Zebrafish lines can be shipped domestically or internationally to other zebrafish facilities for phenotypic analysis or studied at SickKids by establishing scientific collaborations facilitated by our core facility.

We use modern molecular biology techniques, such as Gibson assembly and multi-site Gateway recombination, to rapidly assemble plasmids suitable for transgenesis and capable of expressing any protein of interest.

We can perform microinjection of plasmids into one-cell stage zebrafish embryos and screen for germline transmission of transgenes to subsequent generations.

Based on project requirements, we can generate a variety of transgenic lines, including:

  • Fluorescent reporter lines to label cell lineages and/or study the sub-cellular localization of proteins of interest
  • Transgenes that can suppress genetic variant phenotypes
  • Transgenes that allow for conditional spatial and temporal expression using the Cre/Lox system
  • Binary expression systems (sometimes referred to as split systems) that use either Gal4/UAS or QF/QUAS systems allowing for tissue specific expression

Morpholinos can be used for transient knock-down experiments to study loss-of-function phenotypes in zebrafish embryos and larvae (up to five days post-fertilization).

In collaboration with the SPARC BioCentre, we can perform chemical screens to identify small molecules that can suppress a visible genetic variant phenotype and/or alter the expression patterns of stable transgenic reporter lines.

*This service is temporarily unavailable.

Under the Health of Animals Act, zebrafish imported from outside Canada must be held in a Canada Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) pre-approved quarantine facility in order to be tested for spring viremia of carp virus (SVCV) before being released for research purposes.

Our Zebrafish Quarantine Room is a CFIA-certified holding facility that allows us to import zebrafish from sources outside of Canada, on behalf of SickKids or other Canadian research laboratories.

Depending on your project needs and timelines, we offer customized projects not listed above on a case-by-case basis. Contact us for further inquiries.

Why use zebrafish?

Zebrafish possess several key attributes that make them a compelling vertebrate animal model system to study human disease:

  • Zebrafish are more cost-effective than generating and housing many alternative models (less than $1 per tank per day).

  • Juvenile zebrafish are transparent and develop ex-utero, allowing for easier internal imaging.

  • Zebrafish share highly similar cell types, organ systems and physiology with humans and the majority (82%) of genes associated with human disease have a zebrafish counterpart.

  • A large number of fluorescent reporter lines are available marking major tissues and cell types and can be used to analyze phenotypic effects of genetic variants.

  • Zebrafish can produce large clutches of up to 300 embryos in a single pair breeding and are amenable to high-throughput screens to identify small molecules capable of suppressing genetic variant/disease phenotypes.

A person looking through a microscope.

About us

The Zebrafish Genetics & Disease Models Core Facility is the largest zebrafish facility in Canada. With decades of combined research experience, the team offers expertise in generating animal models of human disease, gene discovery, therapy development and more.

To date, the facility has successfully generated over 80 mutant zebrafish lines for both internal and external clients. The facility also plays a key role in supporting groundbreaking research under SickKids’ vision of Precision Child Health.

Team members

  • Jim Dowling, MD, PhD – Scientific Co-Director
  • Brian Ciruna, PhD – Scientific Co-Director
  • Jason Burgess, PhD – Service Manager
  • Xiucheng Cui, M.Sc. – Research Technologist
  • Rebecca Simonian, M.Sc. – Research Technologist

Ready to get started?

Take advantage of our expertise in genome engineering and zebrafish biology to validate and advance your team’s understanding of human disease genes.

To start your next project at the SickKids Zebrafish Core Facility, contact jason.burgess@sickkids.ca for more information on our services.

Ready to get started?

Take advantage of our expertise in genome engineering and zebrafish biology to validate and advance your team’s understanding of human disease genes.

To start your next project at the SickKids Zebrafish Core Facility, contact jason.burgess@sickkids.ca for more information on our services.

Ready to get started?

Take advantage of our expertise in genome engineering and zebrafish biology to validate and advance your team’s understanding of human disease genes.

To start your next project at the SickKids Zebrafish Core Facility, contact jason.burgess@sickkids.ca for more information on our services.